Apparatus for winding round the stem of a button

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for winding round the stem of a button is disclosed wherein the drawbacks of the prior invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,151 were settled. Namely, after drawing the winding thread from the bobbin and in the process of the winding operation, if the thread is recoiled and drawn, the tensile force of the thread decreases and during the winding operation maintaining high rotation speed, the thread is frequently cut off, which leads to the frequent interruption of the winding operation. It was very inefficient in the respect of operation and had impractical disadvantage. 
     Such apparatus according to the present invention comprises a bobbin supporting means for interchangeably supporting the bobbin supplying the winding thread so as to rotate on its own axis to the unloosening direction of the thread in accordance with winding and drawing force of the thread, a thread winding means being fixedly mounted on the equal rotation axis to said bobbin supporting means for receiving from the bobbin the winding thread and winding it round the stem of the button while being rotated along with the bobbin in the equal direction and at the equal angular velocity, and a winding rotation means for rotatively mounting on the support the bobbin supporting means and the thread winding means being fixedly mounted on equal rotation axis and rotating it with driving force of a motor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus for winding round a stemof a button, and more particularly to the apparatus for winding roundthe stem of the button in which a winding thread is wound with sometension round the stem of the button sewn by a sewing thread to anarticle of clothing.

BACKGROUND ART

The ordinary synthetic thread can not be used to the conventional theapparatus for winding round a stem of a button so as to mechanicalcharacteristics.

The conventional example of the apparatus for winding round the stem ofthe button is disclosed in the contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,151(hereinafter referred to as the "prior invention").

The conventional apparatus for winding round the stem of the buttondisclosed in the prior invention comprises a winding bell for winding athread, a winding bell drive motor having a axis with the drive motorspaced from said winding bell, said drive motor has a arranged for thewinding thread to be passed therethrough to the winding bell, saidhollow shaft having an axis, and a magazine for receiving a windingthread supply, wherein said winding bell, the drive motor having thehollow shaft and the magazine being comined to form a hand-operateddevice.

According to the construction of such the hand-operated device, it hadthe advantages which the end of the winding thread is definitely fixedto coil of the button stem and the button is sewn more economically thanwhen using a stationary stem winding apparatus. Such said apparatusespecially had the advantages which can be particularly compact andeasily handleable when the magazine is constructed with a handle type.

An apparatus for winding round the stem of the button of an article ofclothing can have a very compact construction in whole by mounting thewinding bell, the drive motor and the magazine on identical axis, ormounting the magazine at right angles to the common axis of the windingbell and the drive motor so as to form indirect drive connectionrelation with the winding bell by means of a mitre gear. Said apparatuscan be easily and actually handleable by wrapping a casing on the drivemotor so as to use it as a handle.

However, said construction had the following drawbacks concerning actualuse when the winding operation is conducted.

The hand-operated device of first embodiment in FIG. 3 illustrating theprior invention the conventional apparatus is constructed such that anelectric motor drives the winding bell through a hollow shaft axis, thewinding thread is drawn from a bobbin of the common axis located at themagazine, through the hollow shaft, is passed to the winding bell, isgone through the edge of the winding bell, and is wound round the threadbundle periphery of the stem of the button according to rotation of thewinding bell. The winding thread which is wound in a semi-coniformbobbin mounted on the hollow axis and the common axis is coiled andunloosened, as it is unloosened to the side of angular point when drawnto the hollow shaft of the drive motor.

This thread is connected again from the hollow shaft to the edge of thewinding bell. It is recoiled and drawn according to the rotation of thewinding bell.

As such, after drawing the winding thread from the bobbin and in theprocess of the winding operation, if the thread is recoiled and drawn,the tensile force of the thread decreases and during the windingoperation maintaining high rotation speed, the thread is frequently cutoff, which leads to the frequent interruption of the winding operation.Namely, as it hinders the general characteristics required forcontinuous treatment of a given quantity of clothing, it is veryinefficient in the respect of operation efficiency and has impracticaldisadvantage.

Especially if the thread is wound round the shape of the button in itsrecoiled state, the periphery of the thread wound is formed knaggy, andthus it had the drawbacks leading to friction and easy wear in abuttonhole while using the clothing.

Further, as shown on the other example of the second embodiment shown onFIG. 4 of the prior invention, the hollow shaft is rotatively mounted ina gear casing, the end edge of the hollow shaft is guided from the gearcasing, at one end the winding bell is fixed and at the other end themagazine receiving a supply part of the winding thread is located, themagazine is constructed with a bobbin carrier fixed in the gear casingand a supply bobbin for the winding thread, this bobbin is located atright angles to the axis of the hollow shaft and is inserted into thebobbin carrier in a rotative and interchangeable way, and the threadwhich left the bobbin finally goes through a ring provided on thecircumference of a circle of the winding bell through the hollow shaftand a slot formed on a wall of the winding bell.

With such construction, when the winding thread wound round the supplybobbin is unloosened and drawn to the hollow shaft, the thread isunloosened from the side of the bobbin while the supply bobbin isrotating on its own axis, and thus first-stage coiling phenomenon issettled. However, the thread being drawn by going through the hollowshaft, the slot formed on the wall of the winding bell and the ringprovided on the circumference of the circle of the winding bell iscoiled and drawn in the process of going through the hollow shaft andbeing supplied to the ring, and thus the degree of coiling is somewhatreduced in comparison with the apparatus of said first embodiment buthas the drawbacks similar to those of the apparatus of the firstembodiment due to the surviving coiling phenomenon.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for winding round the stemof a button, and more particularly to the apparatus for winding roundthe stem of the button in which a winding thread is wound with sometension round the stem of the button sewn by a sewing thread to anarticle of clothing.

An object of the present invention is to provide the apparatus forwinding round the stem of the button enabling to settle the phenomena ofcoiling and cutting off of the winding thread during the windingoperation which is the drawback of the conventional apparatus forwinding round the stem of the button.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the apparatus forwinding round the stem of the button in which the thread being woundround the stem of the button in relation to the aforesaid object is notcoiled in itself and thus even shape of periphery on a thread bundle isformed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the apparatusfor winding round the stem of the button in which by preventing thewinding thread from being coiled, an ordinary synthetic thread such asDraw textured yarn or sewing twisted thread in consist of polyesterhaving low percentage of elongation and low-priced can be used as thewinding thread.

The apparatus for winding round the stem of the button according to thepresent invention which was conceived to accomplish the aforementionedobjects comprises a bobbin supporting means for interchangeablysupporting the bobbin supplying the winding thread so as to rotate onits own axis to the unloosening direction of the thread in accordancewith winding and drawing force of the thread, a thread winding meansbeing fixedly mounted on the equal rotation axis to said bobbinsupporting means for receiving from the bobbin the winding thread andwinding it round the stem of the button while being rotated along withthe bobbin in the equal direction and at the equal angular velocity, anda winding rotation means for rotatively mounting on the support thebobbin supporting means and the thread winding means being fixedlymounted on equal rotation axis and rotating it with driving force of amotor.

According to the present invention, the winding thread being suppliedfrom the bobbin is smoothly supplied in a forward direction without anycoiling during the supply process until it is wound round the stem ofthe button, and thus interruption phenomenon of winding operationresulting from cutting off of the winding thread was originallyprevented.

It leads to great improvement of operation efficiency, evenly formedperiphery of the thread bundle wound round the stem of the button, andthe supply of the winding thread without any coiling.

These advantages enable to maintain the tensile force of the threadbeing supplied, and to efficiently perform the winding operation havingno cutting off by means of the ordinary synthetic thread of a moderateprice instead of using the material of the winding thread such asElasthan fibers which is the elastomeric plastics material of anexpensive price and high percentage of elongation so that the windingoperation can be conducted with very inexpensive cost.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the accompanied briefdescription of drawings and best mode for carrying out the invention tobe described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an external view of a stationary apparatus for winding roundthe stem of a button according to one example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus for winding round the stemof a button according to an example of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus for winding round the stemof the button according to another example of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As shown on from FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the apparatus 100 for winding roundthe stem of the button according to one example of the present inventioncomprises a bobbin supporting device having a bobbin supporting memberfor replaceably supporting a bobbin (B) supplying a winding thread (K)so as to rotate on its own axis to the unloosening direction of thethread in accordance with winding and drawing force of the thread and athread guide member for guiding the thread being winded to the bobbin(B) to the loosening direction of the thread, a thread winding devicebeing fixedly mounted on the equal rotation axis to said bobbinsupporting device for receiving from the bobbin the winding thread andwinding it round the stem of the button while being rotated along withthe bobbin in the equal direction and at the equal angular velocity, anda winding rotation device for rotatively mounting on a base plate 136the bobbin supporting device and the thread winding device being fixedlymounted on equal rotation axis and rotating it with driving force of amotor.

Said bobbin supporting device comprises a front disc 111 having an outerside edge being integrally fixed with the thread winding device and abobbin supporter 113 supporting one side edge of the bobbin (B), a reardisc 112 being connected with said front disc 111 by means of severalconnection rods 115, 116, 116a and being fixedly mounted by passingthrough a central part of a vertical hem of a shaft 117 rotativelymounted on a rear supporter 132, a bobbin supporter 114 having the otherside edge of he bobbin (B) being elastically mounted with a spring 118on the vertical hem of the shaft 117 from the inner side edge of saidrear disc 112, and a thread guide hole 119 being mounted at outer sideof the middle part of said one side connection rod 115 for guiding thewinding thread (K) being unloosened from the bobbin (B).

Said thread winding device comprises the construction that at centralpart being formed with a cylindrical shape in which a button stem (S)can be led, at rear end being integrally fixed on equal axis to saidfront disc 111, at middle part being rotatively mounted on the axis to afront supporter 131, at front side having a pulley groove 123interlocking a driving pulley (M1) of the winding rotation device, atone side edge being formed with a leading hole 122 through which thewinding thread (K) is supplied by passing through front and rear alongwith one side of the front disc 111, and at one end of said leading hole122 being formed with a groove wheel 124 so that drawing tension can beadjusted by pressing one end of the winding thread (K) and having athread winding member 121 along which a tension ring 125 is mounted.

Said winding rotation device comprises the front supporter 131rotatively and pivotally mounting rear end of the thread winding member121 with a bearing 134, the rear supporter 132 rotatively and pivotallymounting rear end of the shaft 117 fixedly mounted on an axis to therear disc 112 of a bobbin supporting device with a bearing 133, a baseplate 136 supporting said front and rear supporters 131, 132, a motor(M) having a driving pulley (M1) fixed at one side of said base plate136, a motor transmission belt 135 interlocking said driving pulley (M1)and a pulley groove 123 of the thread winding member 121, and a threadend holder 137 being fixedly mounted on one side of front of the baseplate 136 and holding by drawing with tension the winding thread (K) ledin the leading hole 122 of the thread winding member 121.

The numeral 138 is cover, 140 is fixed member, 141 is switch panel, 142is switch rod, 145 is plate, 146 is slot, 151 is control device P.C.B,152 is start switch, and the numeral 153 is speed control switch.

Operation state of the apparatus for winding round the stem of thebutton is explained in the following.

The bobbin (B) having the winding thread (K) is mounted on the front andrear bobbin supporters 113, 114 being formed on its rotation centralaxis between the front and rear discs 111, 112 so as to rotate on itsaxis with some tension around front and rear portions, and to have itsangular point facing the front side.

The thread unloosened out of the thread end from this bobbin (B) isrolled the outer surface of one side connection rod 116 of threeconnection rods 115, 116, 116a connecting with and supporting front andrear disc 111, 112 is gone through a thread guide hole 119 of anotherside connection rod 115 and is led into the front through the leadinghole 122.

The end of winding thread (K) drawn through the leading hole 122 fromthe edge of the thread winding member 121 is drawn and held to thethread end holder 137 separately prepared at one lower side of the baseplate 136 for the preparation of winding operation of the button stem(S). The predetermined winding operation is conducted in the publiclyknown method. Namely, if the button stem (S) of a clothing (S2) to bewound is put in the middle part of the thread winding member 121 and themotor (M) is activated, the thread winding member 121 conducts thewinding operation while intermittently rotating clockwise several times.

According to such winding operation, the thread winding member 121 isrotated and thus the bobbin supporting device being attached integrallyto the rear end of the thread winding member 121 and being integrallyand rotatively mounted between the front supporter 131 and the rearsupporter 132 is rotated in equal direction and with equal turningeffect at the same time.

Also, the bobbin (B) supported under some tension with the bobbinsupporters 113, 114 in the bobbin supporting device is rotated whileturning on its own axis. Accordingly, even if the winding thread (K) isdrawn from the edge of the thread winding member 121 to the leading hole122 according to the speed of winding operation, the position anddirection which the winding thread (K) is unloosened from the bobbin (B)become the side unloosening direction which the thread is unloosenedwith the thread guide hole 119 prepared in the middle part of one sideconnection rod 115 without being coiled in itself, by virtue of drawingforce of the winding thread, the winding thread is unloosened while thebobbin (B) is turning on its axis to the bobbin supporters 113, 114, andat the same time, along with the thread winding member 121 the bobbin isrotated so as to obtain the operation effects which the winding threadis supplied without entirely being coiled.

As explained in the above, as the winding thread (K) is not entirelycoiled in various devices from the process being unloosened until beingwound round the button stem (S), it is unloosened and flexibly suppliedunder some tension in accordance with the speed of winding operation.

Namely, it basically settles the drawback, the greatest disadvantage ofa bobbin stationary winding apparatus according to the aforesaidconventional prior invention which as the winding thread is doublycoiled and supplied, the thread is cut off during the winding operationto cause the interruption of the operation. It has the practicaladvantages which can heighten the operation efficiency and effectivenessby raising characteristics of the winding apparatus purporting tocontinuously deal with the clothing of any quantity. Further, it enablesto evenly form the periphery of the thread bundle wound round the buttonstem by smoothly supplying in forward direction without being entirelycoiled in supply process from the time when the winding thread (K) isunloosened until it is wound round the button stem.

Also, as the winding thread is supplied without being entirely coiled,it can be smoothly supplied even if its tensile force is weak.Accordingly, it has another advantage to effectively perform the windingoperation at very inexpensive costs by using the ordinary syntheticthread of a moderate price instead of using the material of the windingthread such as Elasthan fibers which is the elastomeric plasticsmaterial of an expensive price and high percentage of elongation.

FIG. 5 is the apparatus (100a) for winding round the button stemaccording to another example of the present invention.

In this example, what is different from the construction of theaforesaid apparatus 100 for winding round the button stem is only theconstruction of a bobbin supporting device.

The bobbin supporting device comprises a front disc (111a) of a longshape to one side, at outer side edge of middle part which the threadwinding device is integrally fixed, a rear disc (112a) beingsymmetrically formed to said front disc (111a) and having outer sideedge of middle part being rotatively mounted on its rotation axis (117a)to the rear supporter 132, top and bottom bobbin fixing plates (115a)(115b) fixing said front disc (111a) and rear disc (112a) at top andbottom respectively and supporting the bobbin (B), the bobbin supporter113 having at inner side edge of the top bobbin fixing plate (115a) oneside edge of the bobbin (B) being inserted and mounted on its axis withsuch construction as to rotatively support the bobbin (B) between thetop and bottom bobbin fixing plates (115a) (115b), and the bobbinsupporter 114 having at inner side edge of the bottom bobbin fixingplate (115b) the other side edge of the bobbin (B) being mounted on itsaxis with the spring 118 under tension.

According to such the bobbin supporting device, the thread windingmember 121 is rotated, thus the bobbin supporting device beingintegrally attached to rear end of the thread winding member 121 andbeing rotatively mounted on its axis between the front supporter 131 andthe rear supporter 132 is rotated in the equal direction and at theequal angular velocity, the bobbin (B) supported with the bobbinsupporters 113, 114 under a certain tension in the bobbin supportingdevice can turn by itself and at the same time, rotate together with thebobbin supporting device. In this case, as turning axis of the bobbin isformed to cross at right angles to the rotation axis of the bobbinsupporting device (110a), the winding thread (K) wound on the bobbin (B)is unloosened, without coiling, right from the bobbin (B) turning on itsown axis without through the thread guide hole 119 prepared in themiddle side of the separate connection rod 115, while being unloosenedwith winding and driving force, as illustrated on one example so thatthe winding thread (K) can be supplied to the leading hole 122 formed atthe edge of the thread winding member 121 during the winding operation.These operation and effects will enable to accomplish the object of thepresent invention in the same manner as that in the aforesaid oneexample.

The construction of one example described in detail in embodying thepresent invention is presented as one desirable example, but the presentinvention is not restricted thereto.

The construction of the winding rotation device which is a means forrotating the bobbin supporting device integrally attached to the threadwinding member of the thread winding apparatus comprises theconstruction, as shown on one example, which a motor is indirectlydriven with the driving pulley, etc., by mounting on the other axis tothe rotation axis of the thread winding device, and in addition to suchconstruction, equal effects can be obtained, too, when mounting by wayof direct driving on either side of front or rear on the identical axisto the rotation axis of the thread winding member and bobbin supportingdevice.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for winding round the stem of a button bysupplying an ordinary synthetic thread without coiling for a windingthread comprising:a bobbin supporting means having a bobbin supportingmember for replaceably supporting a bobbin supplying a winding thread soas to rotate on its own axis to the unloosening direction of the threadin accordance with winding and drawing force of the thread and a threadguide member for guiding the thread being winded to the bobbin to theloosening direction of the thread, a thread winding means being fixedlymounted on the equal rotation axis to said bobbin supporting means forreceiving from the bobbin the winding thread and winding it round thestem of the button while being rotated along with the bobbin in theequal direction and at the equal angular velocity, and a windingrotation means for rotatively mounting on the support the bobbinsupporting means and the thread winding means being fixedly mounted onequal rotation axis and rotating it with driving force of a motor.
 2. Anapparatus for winding round the stem of a button, as set forth in claim1, wherein said bobbin supporting means is a bobbin supporting devicecomprising:a front disc 111 having an outer side edge being integrallyfixed with the thread winding means and a bobbin supporter 113supporting one side edge of the bobbin (B), a rear disc 112 beingconnected with said front disc 111 by means of several connection rods(115) (116) (116a) and being fixedly mounted by passing through a middlepart of a vertical hem of a shaft 117 rotatively mounted on a rearsupporter 132, a bobbin supporter 114 having the other side edge of thebobbin (B) being elastically mounted with a spring 118 on the verticalhem of the shaft 117 from the inner side edge of said rear disc 112, andsaid one side connection rod 115 having a thread guide hole 119 beingmounted at middle part.
 3. An apparatus for winding round the stem of abutton, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said thread winding means beingfixedly mounted on the equal rotation axis to said bobbin supportingmeans for receiving from the bobbin the winding thread and winding itround the stem of the button while being rotated along with the bobbinin the equal direction and at the equal angular velocity comprises:athread winding device at central part being formed with a cylindricalshape in which the button stem can be led, at rear end being integrallyfixed on equal axis to said front disc 111, at middle part beingrotatively mounted on the axis to a front supporter 131, at front sidehaving a pulley groove 123 interlocking a driving pulley of the windingrotation means, at one side edge being formed with a leading hole 122through which the winding thread (K) is supplied by passing throughfront and rear along with one side of the front disc 111, and at one endof said leading hole 122 being formed with a groove wheel 124 so thatdrawing tension can be adjusted by pressing one end of the windingthread (K) and having a thread winding member 121 along which a tensionring 125 is mounted.
 4. An apparatus for winding round the stem of abutton, as set forth in claim 1, said winding rotation means is awinding rotation device comprising:a front supporter 131 rotatively andpivotally mounting rear end of the thread winding member 121 with abearing 134, a rear supporter 132 rotatively and pivotally mounting rearend of the shaft 117 fixedly mounted on an axis to the rear disc 112 ofa bobbin rotation device with a bearing 133, a base plate 136 supportingsaid front and rear supporters 131, 132, and a motor (M) having adriving pulley (M1) fixed at one side of said base plate 136, atransmission belt 135 interlocking said driving pulley (M1) and a pulleygroove 123 of the thread winding member
 121. 5. An apparatus for windinground the stem of a button, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bobbinsupporting means is a bobbin supporting device (110a) comprising:a frontplate (111a) of a long shape to one side, at outer side edge of middlepart which the thread winding device is integrally fixed, a rear plate(112a) being symmetrically formed to said front plate (111a) and havingouter side edge of middle part being rotatively mounted on its rotationaxis (117a) to the rear supporter 132, top and bottom bobbin fixingplates (115a) (115b) fixing said front plate (111a) and rear plate(112a) at top and bottom respectively and supporting the bobbin (B), abobbin supporter 113 having at inner side edge of the top bobbin fixingplate (115a) one side edge of the bobbin (B) being inserted and mountedon its axis with such construction as to rotatively support the bobbin(B) between the top and bottom bobbin fixing plates (115a) (115b), and abobbin supporter 114 having at inner side edge of the bottom bobbinfixing plate (115b) the other side edge of the bobbin (B) being mountedon its axis with the spring 118 under tension.
 6. An apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the winding thread means, the bobbin supportingmeans and the winding rotation means are arranged equiaxially.
 7. Anapparatus according to claim 1, wherein an ordinary synthetic thread isthe thread being used.